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One-hundred yards from my door is the charred pavement from a car that was lit afire in the middle of the night two weeks ago. Two years ago, a car was directly in front of my house in this state -- I guess you can call that improvement.

This week began with another mass shooting -- the 16th since Newtown in December. As the president presides over yet another grim memorial service, it's time for an honest assessment of what is really happening in our culture. Yes, we need better background checks and mental health screening, but we need to also look deeper -- at the root causes that lead to nearly 32,000 gun deaths a year, and over 1 million Americans taking part in gang activities. Matthew Dowd defined "the real core problem" as "poverty of the soul." And fixing it will require more compassion, less division and the recognition that our common humanity is greater than our differences. On Thursday, Pope Francis took a step in that direction, faulting the Catholic Church for being "obsessed" with gays and abortion at the expense of the larger mission. "We must always consider the person," he said. Our well-being as a nation depends on it.

Throughout the history of humanity, many secret societies existed to fight oppression or tyrannical domination, while others formed on subversive platforms and worked against established authorities to pursue objectives and desires.

Efforts to improve security are taking place across the Global South, including the pacification of Rio de Janeiro's favelas, the reconciliation of street brawlers in Jakarta and the combating of violence against women in Mexico City and Mumbai.

It's tough there. I just don't know if things will ever change. Their choice is all too often drugs, prostitution or some shape or form of sport. There is no other way out if you're born in the slums or a poor neighborhood.

College athletics, as it intersects with the educational and life outcomes of black male athletes, is in crisis. This crisis is evident in many ways, including the prevalence of once-aspiring professional black male athletes who end up with no degree, few job prospects, and used-up eligibility.

A lot of the who, what, where, and how of the Boston bombing and what led up to it have already been answered and, no doubt, more details will eventually be filled in. The why, however, is the more elusive question. But it's also a crucial one. Why do we have so many disaffected young men in our culture, and what compels them to act out that disaffection in violent ways? As of 2006, boys accounted for 83 percent of arrests for violent crimes. By the age of 17, over a quarter of boys report having carried a handgun. In 2010, there were an estimated 756,000 gang members throughout the country. With Tucson, with Newtown, with countless other places, and now with Boston, the justifications may differ, but the end results have a lot in common. And so, likely, do the beginnings.

The name Edmond St. Claire and the names of other victims of murder should never be forgotten. We talk about change but what steps toward creating substantial and impactful measures to bring an end to youth violence are being taken?

Students have become pawns in what seems to be a simple math problem as presented by CPS, but is really a culture, community and citywide issue of how to create safe and effective schools for all students regardless of race, family income and geographic location.